Lubricating means for valve-operating devices



E. A. DE WATERS. LUBRICATING MEANS FORNALVE OPERATING DEVICES.

APPUCATION HLED SURE 25.1919.

rmma July 13, 1920.

f" \Illlllliih UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ENDS A. DE WATERS, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL MOTORS CORPO- RATION, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN,

A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

LUBRICATIN-G MEANS FOR VALVE-OPERATING DEVICES.

Application filed June 25,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ENos A. DE \VA'rnRs, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Flint, Genesee county, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improven'lents in Lubricating Means for Valve- Operating Devices, of which the following is a specification. i

My invention relates to valve operating mechanism for internal combustion engines and similar devices. and the object of my invention is to provide valve operating mechanism in which improved means are provided for lubri 'ating the bearings thereof and in which the valve operating and lubricating functions are presentand secured in a single mechanism of simple and. compact eol'istruction. and one not likely to get out of order, the lubrication of'the bearing thereof being accomplished automatically when the mechanism is in operation, the supply of oil being contipuous and certain at such times, and all the bearings of the device being lubricated by oil derived from a single reservoir. which reservoir also acts as a support for one or more valve operat ing levers whereby a correspomling number of valves are operated, and the'capaeity of which reservoir is such that it will contain sullicient oil for lubricating the bearings for a conside able time.

The drawing acconuianying and forming a part of this specification illustrates what I at present regard as the preferred mechanical form or embodiment of my inventiorn although the same may obviously be embodied in various other forms and constructions, all within the scope of my invention and. intended to he covered by the patent to be obtained therefor, it being here expressly pointed out that my invention includes all such variations and modifications of the particular embodiment thereof illustrated as come within the scope of the concluding claims wherein the distinguishing features in which the invention consists are particularly pointed out.

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a view partly in end elevation and partly in section showing my invention as applied to an internal combustion engine, the engine being indicated conventionally, and

Fig. 2 is a plan view upon a smaller scale Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1920.

1919. Serial No. 306,727.

partly in section, showing an arrangement of rocker arms embodying my invention.

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral 3 designates a portion of a vertically arranged cylinder of an internal combustion engine or similar device and 4 the stem of a valve which is operated by the inner end 5 of an oscillating valve operating lever supported intermediate its ends by a suitable standard 6. The outer end 7 of this lever is operated byia reciprocating operating member shown as in the form of a tappet rod having a ball-shaped upper end which fits within a socket of corresponding form provided upon the under side of the said. lever and vertical movement is imparted to the said tappet rod by means of a suitable cam or equivalent element. not shown.

The valve contemplated in the embodiment of my invention illustrated is of the puppet type. and a spring 9 is employed to close the same and hold it normally upon its seat. although other types of valve may be employed as my invention is not limited to use with the specific kind of valve here referred to. It therefore follows that upward movement of the tappct rod 8 will be communicated to the valve, not shown, through the oscillating valve operating lever and the valve stem to thereby open the valve. the valve being returned to its seat by the spring 9, as will be appreciated.

The oscillating valve operating lever or rocker arm is supported by a hollow supporting member 1th which in turn is sup ported by the standard (5, and which sup-v porting member in actual practice, and assuming the invention to be applied to a multiple cylinder engine. is preferably in the form of a hollow shaft extending longitudinally of the cylinder block, from which it follows that the said shaft serves as a support for the plurality of valve operating levers whereby all the exhaust, or all the supply, or all of both such kinds of valves are supported. In such a case a plurality of supports such as are provided by the standard 6 will obviously be employed in order to secure a suliiciently rigid support for the shaft which supports the several valve operating rocker arms employed for operating the valves, as 'will be understood.

The interior of the hollow supporting member or shaft 10 serves as an oil reservoir to which oil is supplied in any way, and y means of any suitable oil supply device; and the said shaft is provided with a number of holes. one associated with the bearing between said shaft and each rooking leve and in hich holes the outer ends of wiclis. one of which is shown at 11, are seured, and the inner ends of which wicks are submerged in the oil contained within the hollow rocker arm supporting shaft or support ll). ()il will therefore be supplied or ted to the bearings for the several valve operating levers by capillary action, and by means of and through the wicks, as will be appieciaual. Suitable removable and renewable bushing 12 are commonly employ d to reduce the friction and seeure a more satisfactorily operating bearing, and the mpacity ol' the reservoir formed by the shaft H is sullicicut to provide for the lubrication of the entire valve operating mechanism for a considerable time.

Tie outer end of the valve operating lever or livers in caselmore than one is used is ia'avlded with a longitudinally extending passage which contains an absorbent material or member 13 such, for example. as a wink, and along and through which member oil derived from the interior oi the hollow supporting membe lU is eonveyed to a hearing H at the upper end of the tappet rod 8 and between the rounded end thereof and the wall of the socket into which said end enters, a hole 15 being provided to admit oil to the bearing. as shown. In the embodiment of my invention illustrated the upper end of the tappet rod is spherical in form and tits into a similarly shaped socket or seat provided in the under side of the roche' arm, as hereinbel'ore mentioned, although the particular type of hearing between the parts in question is of secondary importance, and my invention is not limited to the use of any particular type thereof.

The arrangement and adjustment of the parts is preferably such that whenthe tappct rod H is in its uppermost position the inner end of the absorbent member or wick 123 will contact with the outer end of the wick or absorbent member '1 1. so as to receive oil therefrom through capillary actiomalthough oil will obviously be supplied to the l'iearing at 1 t it the ends of the wieks 11 and 13 are brought opposite one another to a greater or less extent at any phase of the operation of the device. and when the parts thereof aresin any position. ln faet oil will be sup- Qhed to the hearing at 14 to a degree even if the said ends do not come into actual registry with one. another. in which ease the wick l3 derives its supply of oil from the rock shaft hearing. which bearing in turn is supplied with oii by and through the wick ll as hertinbetore explained.

Various forms of absorbent members or wicks may be employed in the device such, for example, as pieces of felt. woven. braided or spun fiber, etc., and the same may be made of various materials such for example as cotton fiber, asbestos or mineral wooi, and in fact from any material having the qualities requisite for the end to be obtained. Also note that the oil reservoir shaft it) may be loosely lilled with absorbent material such as cotton waste, which will insure a supply of lubricant to the wicks regardless 6f the position of the reservoir shaft.

As changes of construction could be made within the scope of my invention. it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the :n-con1 miiyiI1g drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a. limiting sense.

Having thus described and explained my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. in a valve operating mechanism of the class described, a hollow member adapted to contain oil, and provided with an exterior bearing and an oil port leading thereto: a second member pivotally supported on said bca ring and having an oil passage adapted to register at times with said oil port; an absorbent oil conveyil'ig member extending through said oil port: and a second absorbent oil conveying member in said passage and so positioned as to receive oil from said lirst absorbent member when the passage is in register with the oil port.

2. In valve'bperating mechanism of the, class described and in combination. a hollow member adapted to contain oil, said member having an exterior bearing and an oil port leading thereto? a second member pivotally mounted upon the bearing of said. hollow member and provided with a second bearing, and with a passage extending from one bearing to the other; absorbent oil eonveying means extending through said oil port to the lirst. mentioned bearin and absorbent oil conveying means extending along said passage from said lirst bearing to said second bearing.

3. ln valve operating mechanism, the combination with a hollow supporting member provided with an oil port; an oscillatory valve lever provided with a longitudinal passage adapted to communicate with the said oil port; an absorbent member extending through said port and adapted t.) convey oil to the surface of said supporting member: and an absorbent member in said passage and adapted and arranged to receive oil from said first mentioned absorbent member and to convey it 'along said passage.

4. In valve operating mechanism of the class described, an oscillatory valve lover; a hollow supporting member whereupon said lever is supported and which supporting member is provided with an oil port, and which lever is provided with a socket bearing at the free end thereof andwith a longitudinally extending passage leading from said oil port to said sor-ket hearing; a reciprocating member pro'ridezi with an enlarged head adapted to fit within said socket; and absorbent oil conve ing means located within said passage an extending from the supporting member aforesaid to said socket bearing.

5. In valve operating mechanism of the class described, an oscillating valve lover; a hollow supporting member provided with an oil port, said lever being journaled upon said supporting member and also provided with a longitudinal passage and with a bearing at one end, said passage communicating with said bearing and with said port; and absorbent oil conveying means extending from the interior of said supporting member through said port and along said passage, whereby oil may be fed by capillar v action both to the lever sul'iporting bearing and to the end bearin (3. In a valve operating llliitgltllllslll of the class described, an oscillating valve operating lever, a hollow supporting member for supporting said lever, means for supplying oil to the interior of said supporting member, an absorbent member for feeding oi from the interior of said supporting member to the bearing lwtween the same and said valve operating lever, a reciprocating operating member the upper end of which is in engagement with a bearing provided upon the under side of said valve operating lever, and a passage in said valve operating lever leading From said first mentioned bearing to the bearing between the upper end oi said operating member and said lever.

T. ln valve operating nmr-lninism of the class (lcmri'iliml, an oscillating valve operating lover, a hollow supporting member for supporting said lever, means for supplying oil to the interior of said supporting mendber, an absorbent member extending from the interior of said sup 'iorting member through a lHJli, provided therein and lead-- ing to the bearing between said supporting member and said lever, a reciprocating operating member the upper end of which is in engagement with a bearing provided upon the under side of said valve operating lever, a passage leading from said first mentioned bearing to the bearing between the upper end of said operating member and said lever, and an absorbent member located within and extending along said passe e.

8. In valve operating mechanism 0 the class described, a hollow supporting member adapted to contain oil, an oscillating valve operating lever supported by said supporting member and having a passage leading from the bearing between the same and said supporting member to a second bearing provided upon the under side of said lever, an absorbent member located within and extending along said passage, and an absorbent membe extending from the interior of said su iporting member through a hole )rovided therein and which last mentioned absorbent member is adapted to supply oil to the bearing between said supporting member and said valve operating member, and to the absorbent member within the passag: aforesaid in said lever. 9. In valve operating mechanism of the class described, a hollow supporting shaft adapted to contain oil, a plurality of oscillating valve operating levers supported by said shaft and having each a passage leading from the bearing between the same and said shaft to a second bearing provided upon the under side of each lever, an absorbent member located within and extend ing along each of the passages aforesaid, and a plurality of absorbent members, one associated with the bearing of each of said levers, extending from the interior of said shaft through holes provided therein and leading one to each of said bearings and which last mentioned absorbent members are adapted to supply oil to said bearings and to the absorbent members located within the passagos aforesaid.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ENOS A, DE WATERS. 

